Wow. It has been a busy February. We started out the month with a new addition - Oliver Gibson Hoelscher finally decided to make his appearance. Katie, the maid of honor in my wedding, finally had her baby! He is such a doll - I am totally in love with Ollie, first, because he is so dang cute, and second, because I swear he is the most laid-back baby I have even been around! She is one lucky gal!
Mommy and Ollie
So precious!
So excited to meet Ollie for the first time!
A follow-up visit with the little man!
This month also brought Lilly's first dentist appointment. Liv has been to the dentist four or five times by now, so she was a pro and couldn't wait to show Lilly "the ropes." What was the first thing she told her about the dentist? "If you do a good job, they give you a toy!" Of course, Lilly asked for a sticker too! I am so proud of how well my girls did at the dentist. Liv has always been very cooperative, but I was pleasantly surprised how cooperative Lilly was as well. I guess I can *thank* all those doctors visits she has had to make in the past - she kept asking when she would get to see Dr. Kanga! Sigh - unfortunately not too much longer...
Olivia getting her teeth cleaned...
My future is so bright I have to wear shades!!
Pondering her next diabolical move...
Playing around...
Showing off her "clean" teeth!
Lilly was such a good girl - I was so proud!
Of course, you can't make it through February without celebrating Valentine's Day! The girls were so excited...
They baked two cakes in honor of Valentine's Day - the chocolate cake is Lilly's cake and the heart-shaped white cake with strawberry icing is Liv's cake! Aren't they pretty?
Liv and Lilly were both very excited about their Valentine's cards from the grandparents. I remember the days when my cards from my parents used to contain money - and I don't recall it ever containing a $10 bill on Valentine's Day. I am thinking my girls are a little spoiled with their fat piggy banks!
Love my girls!
We also made some special Valentine's day treats courtesy of my favorite website - Pinterest. Love these pretzel buttons - so easy and so cute!
I was lucky enough to attend Liv's Valentine's Day party at school. She is growing up so much! Here she is with all her friends - aren't those girls so cute! I just wish I could get Liv to smile for the camera...
The kids in Liv's pre-k class - I think they are all so adorable!
Cheesing for the camera!
In an effort to beat the winter blues, we scheduled a trip with Grammie and Grandpa, Uncle Matthew, Aunt Holly, Cooper, Tucker, and Uncle Randy to Cincinnati. The plan was to spend the night in a hotel so the kids could swim in an indoor pool and go to the Newport Aquarium the next day (on a Sunday at 10:00 in the a.m. to beat the crowds). Well you know the story of the best laid plans...they pretty much go to hell. A mere 500 yards from our hotel Lilly vomits all over the car after getting car sick. When I rush her inside to change her, Dad informs me that the hotel pool is closed! What the heck?! So we quickly have to come up with a backup plan and the hotel clerk suggests we go to a Chuck E. Cheese nearby. In case you don't know, I hate Chuck E. Cheese. Screaming kids, loud games, greasy pizza - it just isn't my thing. As usual, Liv has been watching way too much t.v. and she is obsessed with going to Chuck E. Cheese, so she immediately latched onto the idea. So we agreed to take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese. Of course, as we are walking out the door the hotel informs us that they are opening the pool. Oh, and by the way, Chuck E. Cheese is not close. It was 30 minutes away. As if that wasn't punishment enough, we had to stand in line for an additional 20 minutes because there was a WAIT. Yes, you heard me correctly - a WAIT TO GET IN. For the love of God, why would anyone stand in line to get into Chuck E. Cheese?!? I would stand in line to get out, but not in. But that is what we did. For 20 minutes.
The pizza was greasy. the place was disgusting, but the kids had a blast. Liv used her tickets to buy a fake spider and vampire teeth. Lilly used her winning tickets to buy a Minnie Mouse watch. My kids are as different as night and day! I never know what to expect...
The next day we fared a little better, although because it was a holiday weekend the Aquarium was busier than I anticipated. Everyone had a good time though...
Our guides checking out the maps...
Lilly loves playing the bongo drums!
Waiting in line to see the sharks!
I love the octopus!
The crabs freaked me out a bit - so much bigger than I anticipated!
Grammie and Lilly taking a rest...
Piranhas are not my style...
I liked the frogs much better :)
Liv and Lilly liked the playground the best! (Of all the things to see at the aquarium, the only two things that Liv talked about the days prior and the days after were (1) the big wishing well at the front; and (2) the playground. I think she may have been missing the point of the trip.)
Checking out the waterfall...
Uncle Randy enjoyed feeding the birds until they pooped on him!
Stingrays were pretty ominous...
The jellyfish were beautiful...
And the sharks were downright scary!
We loved the penguins!
Great family photo!!
I typically get so bored this time of year so I have been very thankful for Pinterest, which has given me access to a number of new recipes that I have been trying out. I have also dug out a few old ones to try. Between skinny coconut shrimp and baked turkey egg rolls, we have been eating well this month. Here are two of my favorite new recipes...
Cranberry Yogurt Scones
Sticky Buns
The indulging that we have been doing must end, though, as Lent is upon us. I am really trying to make more of an effort this year during Lent, so Fridays are meatless and I have given up Facebook for the next 40 days. Of course, the girls are too young to fast or abstain, but I try to make fish or shrimp for dinner on Fridays in observation. We have discovered the local Knights of Columbus Fish Frys on Friday nights, and although the fish isn't healthy, the girls love the food and atmosphere!
The aftermath...the fish didn't stand a chance...
Yum!
Next, an update on my girls. First, Lilly has hit a milestone - she has started pee-peeing in the potty!!! No, we aren't potty training her, but she mocks Liv in everything that she does and since Liv sits on the potty, she wants to sit on the potty too. So every night before bath, Lilly has to tear off her diaper and sit in the potty like her sissy. She even manages to occasionally pee in the potty. But just as often she pees in the floor. She literally squats in the floor with a look of concentration and pees. So we obviously aren't anywhere close to potty trained, but hey, it's a beginning. As you can tell from the photo above, Lilly is also growing up - really fast. I look at her these days and truly realize she is no longer a baby. Recently her hair has really started to grow out and it looks a mess. Most days it just flops in her eyes. I know, I know - she needs a haircut, but Lord, who has the time? Occasionally she will allow us to put it up, as you can see in the picture above. Not much of a ponytail, but she was proud of it!
As for Olivia, she is getting excited about spring, soccer and swimming lessons. She has been taking ballet and tap since Christmas, but she has informed me that she does not like dance. Why I am not surprised?? So I struck a deal with her - stick it out until soccer and swimming lessons, and I will supplement her classes with Sports Skills classes (which she loves) and she can quit dance altogether at the end of February. Part of the bargain was that Olivia must actually make an effort while at dance - no going through the motions. She held up her end of the bargain - she arrived at dance every Saturday, gave it her best, and kept a good attitude. So I have kept up my end of the bargain - she is now attending a Sports Skills class while we wait to start soccer and swimming lessons at the end of the month. Sigh - maybe Lilly will be my "girly girl" since Olivia is obviously going to be my tomboy!
Finally, a bit of news. Jeremy has accepted a new job! Starting the middle of March, he will join Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP. It will take him back to traveling, but hopefully not as much as before. I know he is really excited to return to the consulting ranks - here's hoping for a smooth transition for all of us!
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